Detectives in Uasin Gishu County have launched a probe into a shocking incident where a police officer is said to have committed suicide by burning himself to death in Eldoret town.
According to Turbo Sub County Police Commander Edward Masibo, the police officer, who is of the rank of Inspector locked himself in his house in Maili Nne estate and set it ablaze using a mattress.
It is suspected the incident is a result of a domestic wrangle, but Masibo says investigations are ongoing to ascertain the real cause.
The police officer who died as a result of the incident is said to have been attached to Lodwar.
“The Inspector from Lodwar identified as Sammy Chirchir burnt himself to death using a mattress. We want to know what the problem is – if it was because of family problems or something else. No one else was burnt during the incident,” said Masibo, in a phone interview with Uasin Gishu News.
David Sitati, a Uasin Gishu County fire department officer who responded to the fire incident on his part said the fire was caused by gas that the officer opened after locking himself in the house.
Reports indicate that the officer had chased his child out of the house before locking it – and later set it on fire.
Nothing was salvaged from the house as a result of the incident.
